THE NO-NONSENSE SUMMARY: This position is intended for organized, self-motivated, office administrators that love the feeling of getting things organized and done. Reporting to the European Operations Manager, this position is meant for university graduates that can express themselves very clearly with written communication. Be sure to read to the end of the description to be sure you don’t miss an important detail.
ROLE’S MISSION
The Operations & Customer Service Lead is responsible for the Operations and Customer Service of the CAPLINQ Americas entity locally as well as acting as the link between Americas and Europe.
DESIRED OUTCOMES
- Organize & handle CAPLINQ Corporation / Americas facilities, operations, and CS activities profitably
- Handle all customer/supplier interactions including onboarding, orders, purchase orders & complaints
- Act as THE link between CAPLINQ Americas and Europe by presenting in CAPLINQs meetings
CANDIDATE COMPETENCIES | Candidate is able to:
- Proactively, efficiently & effectively plan & keep track of orders by creating and following instructions
- Handle all incoming customer inquiries in a service-friendly, timely, efficient, and accurate manner
- Ensure that all NA office operations are carried out in a timely and cost-effective manner
- Communicate effectively with stakeholders and report monthly to MT on operations performance
- Jump unafraid into any crisis, make sense of it and do what needs to be done to work towards a resolution
THE ROLE
Yes, you read that right – we’re looking for a SUPERSTAR. The title may sound a little wacky, but it’s really quite true. We’re looking for that special someone that has not one, but two unique skills – the amazing ability to take a step back from the day-to-day operations to improve and streamline it, while also not afraid to jump into the middle of it and pick up any piece of it that needs your attention at the moment.
As a fast-growing multinational, our chemicals, adhesives, and plastics are being qualified and used in next-generation electric vehicles, 5G semiconductor chips, renewable energy sources, and high-tech electronics designs. These products need to be ordered from our factories around the world, stored and packed, shipped globally, and invoiced in customers’ local currency. And you’re gonna be making sure it’s all smooth sailing.
Do you describe yourself as a proactive, super-organized, enthusiastic, customer-oriented superstar that loves bringing your attention to detail to the process at hand? Then I encourage you to read on. If on the other hand, you’re already exhausted reading this, I recommend you take a nap and check out another job post.
So, what will you be doing?
The position and responsibility will grow along with you. Our Americas operation covers all the Americas from Canada, the USA, and Mexico right down through Brazil, Argentina, and Chile. Our small Americas team includes sales, an office manager, and customer service. You will be the oil between these moving pieces and our headquarters outside of Amsterdam, Holland in Europe.
Broadly speaking, your areas of responsibility will revolve around three main desired outcomes:
1. Organize & lead Customer Service and Operations activities profitably (about 40% of your time)
In the beginning, this new position is a Lead, not a manager. This will mean taking ownership of the processes and orders but not necessarily managing the customer service and operations people directly. If you aspire to manage people, great. If not, that’s ok too.
Examples of activities:
- Define, implement and improve work processes for operations and customer service
- Work with team members to understand and then define bottlenecks and improve processes
- Explore areas where we spend money (packaging, warehouses, services) and see if we can improve
- Jump in to take over Customer Service or Operations for a day to cover sick days and holidays
2. Lead interactions such as onboarding, change notifications & escalations (about 40% of your time)
You will handle things that are “exceptional”. Whether it’s suppliers that have a change in products, or customers that want to speak to a higher-up, you will be the go-to person for people outside the company when they ask “who’s in charge here?”
Examples of activities:
- Correspond with suppliers through email if products or order processes have changed
- Write letters to customers if orders can’t be filled or unexpected problems occur
- Determine action plans with customers if containers arrive later than expected
- Handle order exceptions if the factories can’t deliver the planned amount of materials
3. Act as the liaison between Americas and European Operations (about 20% of the time)
You will have colleagues doing similar roles in Europe. Share and exchange ideas and examples with your European colleagues. During our monthly “All Team” meetings, you will give updates on your operations.
Examples of activities:
- Compare how other regions are doing compared to the Americas
- Take and implement best practices from other regions
- Discuss with your colleagues in Europe
- Generate performance reports and present them during the monthly “All Team” meeting
DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
What mindset do you require?
Skills can be learned. Mindsets, though they can be learned too, are more often a part of who you are. We value the mindset at least if not more than either experience or hard skills.
- Curiosity – We want a curious person that is rarely satisfied with the first answer. If you find something that doesn’t agree with what you already think, then we want someone who wants to know why.
- Attention to Detail – In this position, it is imperative to minimize mistakes by paying attention to detail. Hint! Don’t forget to read the last paragraph 😉
- Organized – We want a person who is super-organized, manages their time well and has good observation skills.
- Data-driven – Our culture encourages and rewards decisions that are made with data as opposed to seniority, intuition, or personal experience.
- Continuous Improvement – People and processes can always get better. We’re looking for someone who questions every process to see if there’s no room for improvement.
- Courage – Bosses make mistakes and colleagues aren’t always fair. That’s life. We’re looking for someone who may be afraid to confront these issues, but does it anyways.
What skills do you NOT need?
Before we list the skills you do need, it is important that you know what skills or experience we do NOT require:
- Product knowledge: You do not need to know anything about any of the products we sell, nor any of the services we provide. All will be taught on the job.
- Logistics experience: You do not need to know anything about logistics, warehousing, or transport. Again, you will learn it all on the job.
- Lots of work experience: This is meant to be an entry-level position where you will learn “knowledge” on the job. What we can’t teach – and value enormously is someone that is organized, analytical, curious, dedicated, and shows a high level of “stick-to-it-ness”. There’s always a better way, how do we get to it?
What skills do you require?
We don’t even have any hard skills that are required. The ideal candidate would be one who:
-
- Has excellent written communication: can write very good emails and letters
- Asks questions, then asks more questions, then asks even more questions
- Is very organized, and likes to have a place for everything and everything in its place
- Is very computer literate and very familiar with Google Workspace
- Is a Google power-user, forever asking Google questions for answers he/she doesn’t know
- Very good spoken and written English (at least 8/10)
- Is optimistic, energetic and loves a good challenge
- Pays attention to detail. The very last paragraph of this job vacancy has very important information.
Be sure you read it twice before applying.
Skills not required, but that get bonus points (any of them count):
The job we have in mind may not require prior skills, but they sure come in handy around here.
- Customer Service or Operations Experience: It can’t hurt if you’ve done a job like this before
- Spreadsheet Skills: There’s probably no getting around the fact that you’ll be making spreadsheets for reports, checklists, and instructions.
There is no need to send your CV unless it looks awesome and you want to impress us with how it looks. Otherwise, we will use your LinkedIn profile (better make sure it is complete!).
Instead, candidates wishing to apply are requested to send an email to hr@caplinq.com that includes:
- A link to your LinkedIn profile (not a CV)
- A one-page, personal motivation letter expressing what excites you about this opening
Let me repeat that last part in a different way… We are looking for people who stand out from the crowd with a well-written, enthusiastic one-page letter telling us why this position speaks to you and what you could bring to the team.
If all you do is send a CV (we told you not to), and no cover letter your application will be discarded without even being read.
